Padfoot's Advice
by Breanie
Summary: 3RD IN PADFOOT SERIES: Harry and Ginny listen to Sirius.


**Padfoot's Advice**

**Written: **Winter 2006

_**Takes place after Gryffindor wins the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix …**_

**Harry** stared at Ginny as she came into the common room after winning the match. He was highly impressed with her seeking skills and a little disappointed that she had taken over his job. But he got over it quick enough. He watched the way her bright red hair fell down her back and framed her face as she pulled the elastic out. Her chocolate brown eyes were laughing in amusement. She came over and sat down next to him, grinning.

"Hey Harry, did you see the game?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, you did a great job."

She smiled. "Thanks. Seeking is fun and all, but it's not really my thing. I'd much rather be in the thick of things. I think next year I'd like to try out for chaser. You're a much better seeker anyway."

Harry grinned. "Thanks. You're really good though. But I noticed you hesitate to grab the snitch from Cho that one time. You shouldn't hesitate; it can cost you the game."

Ginny nodded. "I know. She just … well, she said something to me that caught me off guard and she hadn't seen the snitch, but yeah, I know what you mean. I'll be more careful."

Hermione took a seat next to them. "Hey you two, great game, Ginny. Ron is actually proud of himself for once. He played brilliantly from what I hear."

Ginny nodded. "He really was. I didn't want to say anything to him, but I think it has a lot to do with the fact that Fred and George are gone. I don't think they really gave him a lot of confidence."

Hermione nodded. "I thought so too. Ginny, I wanted to ask, I saw you and Michael arguing earlier, is everything alright?"

Ginny smiled. "It's fine. We broke up though."

Harry's head turned quickly to look over at Ginny, but she didn't notice. "You broke up with him? I wondered why it took so long."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Harry shrugged. "Well, at Sirius' house you were saying that you were thinking about it."

Ginny nodded. "I was and now I did. He was being a prat. Told me that I was being selfish for stealing the snitch from under Cho's nose like that. He said that Ravenclaw deserved a chance for glory as well and that just because I didn't like Cho didn't mean that I had to steal her glory. I told him he was being ridiculous and that Gryffindor won because I'm a better seeker. He got pissed and told me that I may be a better seeker but Cho is a better kisser."

Hermione gasped. "Oh, he didn't!"

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, apparently he's been sleeping with her for the last week. He says she needs comfort. Which is why I hesitated up in the air because Cho said to me; well, she implied is more like it, that Michael was planning on leaving me."

Hermione looked up as Ron came into the room. "What a git! I'm going to go talk to Ron. I'm sorry about Michael, Ginny."

Ginny smiled after Hermione before she turned back to Harry. "Do you think they'll ever figure it out?"

"Hmm?" Harry asked.

"Ron and Hermione. Do you think they'll ever figure out how crazy about each other they are?"

Harry shrugged. "Maybe in a few years."

Ginny laughed. "I hope it doesn't take that long or I might bash their heads together." She ran her hands through her wavy curls trying to tame them. "How do you stand it?"

Harry gulped. His mouth had gone desperately dry when her hands had touched her hair like that. He shook the thought from his head. He was being ridiculous. This was Ginny. "I ignore them most of the time."

Ginny smiled. "That's a good way too." She sighed. "Ugh, Dean is staring at me again."

"What?"

"Dean, Dean Thomas, in your year? He's staring at me again. He's been doing that on and off since Christmas."

Harry turned to look at Dean, who was indeed looking over at Ginny with interest. "I can tell him to back off if you want."

Ginny laughed. "That's alright. He's not bothering me. I think I'm going to go for a walk. I need some fresh air."

"Do you mind if I come?" Harry asked.

Ginny smiled at him. "No, not at all."

They left the common room together and headed through the castle and around towards the lake. Harry couldn't stop staring at her. He wasn't sure what it was exactly, but she was beautiful. Sirius had mentioned something about it at Christmas and Harry had thought that he was insane. He didn't have romantic feelings for Ginny Weasley. He loved her like a sister. That was all. Then she turned to look at him with those gorgeous brown eyes and his heart stopped.

"I just realized that I mentioned earlier about Michael and Cho and you were … I mean, are you two together still?"

Harry shook his head. "No, that was a … well, disaster I guess. We didn't click."

Ginny nodded. "I've never liked her. No particular reason really. She just seems annoying. And she's always crying. Once I found her in the girl's bathroom and I didn't ask her what was wrong. I just you know went about my business and was about to leave when she grabbed my arm and asked me why I was so cold-blooded. Told me that I was being downright rude to not ask her why she was crying. I told her that I already knew and that she was always crying over the same thing and that the last four times that I'd found her crying, I'd tried to comfort her. She took offence and stormed out of the bathroom. And now I just don't like her because she went after Michael before we were broken up. That's just low in my opinion."

Harry nodded. He didn't know what to say. He had just realized that he wanted the hell out of her. She went to sit down on the ground, but he grabbed her arm, turning her towards him. She was laughing.

"Harry, I want to sit down."

He simply looked at her. Before he could stop himself, before he could explain that what he was doing was stupid and irrational and that he didn't even know how she felt, he slipped his fingers into her hair and placed his lips on hers.

Ginny gasped. She couldn't help herself. Here was Harry, holding her in his arms, his hands in her hair as he kissed her. She placed her hands on his hips and kissed him back. If it happened to be a moment of temporary insanity on his part, well, she could handle it. After all, she'd dreamed about it forever. She smiled to herself as they kissed over and over until no more thoughts were in her mind except for a fuzzy numbness. When he pulled away she only stared at him, wide-eyed and her lips red and swollen from his.

"Ginny." He whispered before he placed his finger on her lips.

"Harry." She said before she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again.

This time the kiss was deeper and longer and an exploration. Her hands were in his hair and his in hers as they kissed. Finally after what seemed like hours, possibly years, they pulled away. Harry just stared at her for a long time and then he smiled.

"Sirius was right."

"Sirius?"

Harry nodded. "He told me that I was in love with you but that I hadn't figured it out yet."

Ginny laughed. "He told me you loved me. He said that you were thick and probably wouldn't notice for a while. But he told me not to give up hope on you."

Harry smiled. "Does that mean you'll let me kiss you again?"

Ginny grinned, sliding her hand gently down his chest. "Maybe. Are you only going to kiss me or is this kissing going to go somewhere?"

"Go somewhere?" Harry asked.

Ginny nodded. "Like, would we be dating?"

Harry grinned. "Ginny, do you want to be my girlfriend?"

Ginny grinned. "Yes." She kissed him softly. "I think we should send Sirius a big present."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, something fantastic … well, something that would make him gloat anyway."

Ginny laughed. "I've got just the thing!"

**********

**Back** at Grimmauld Place, two weeks later, Sirius smiled at Hedwig as she came soaring through the window.

"Hey girl, what do you got for me?" He asked as he pulled the parcel down.

He opened it up and found a picture, well a sketch actually, of Harry and Ginny snogging passionately and he laughed. Then he pulled out a letter attached to it:

**Dear Snuffles,**

**We just wanted to say that YOU WERE RIGHT. We won't doubt you again. Yes, I wanted her and yes I didn't know it at Christmas. She says that she took your advice and ditched him but didn't take the second part and that I did that all on my own, whatever that means. Anyway, we just wanted to say thanks to Padfoot for giving out great advice.**

**Love always**

**H & G**

**P.S. You've got great matchmaking skills.**

Sirius grinned. Of course he was right. He always was about things like that. After all, Potters always went for the redheads … well, at least James and Harry did.


End file.
